Cisco HyperFlex Software Unauthenticated Root Access Vulnerability
A vulnerability in the hxterm service of Cisco HyperFlex Software could allow an unauthenticated, local attacker to gain root access to all nodes in the cluster. The vulnerability is due to insufficient authentication controls. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by connecting to the hxterm service as a non-privileged, local user. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to gain root access to all member nodes of the HyperFlex cluster. This vulnerability affects Cisco HyperFlex Software Releases prior to 3.5(2a).
- Published
- Feb 21, 2019
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.3% · 24th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-284
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Report tools
Action score
31
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 31 / 40 · 7.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.3%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- total
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- 7.8
- CNA · cisco
- 8.1
- 0.3 point gap
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| cisco | hyperflex hx data platform | cpe:2.3:o:cisco:hyperflex_hx_data_platform |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- cisco hyperflex hx data platform2.6(1a)
- cisco hyperflex hx data platform2.6(1b)
- cisco hyperflex hx data platform2.6(1d)
- cisco hyperflex hx data platform2.6(1e)
- cisco hyperflex hx data platform3.0(1a)
- cisco hyperflex hx data platform3.0(1b)
- cisco hyperflex hx data platform3.0(1c)
- cisco hyperflex hx data platform3.0(1d)
- cisco hyperflex hx data platform3.0(1e)
- cisco hyperflex hx data platform3.0(1h)
- cisco hyperflex hx data platform3.0(1i)
- cisco hyperflex hx data platform3.5(1a)
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (cisco). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
Cisco Cisco HyperFlex HX-Series
- unspecified and later · before 3.5(2a)affected
Same product
cisco: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2021-1498Cisco HyperFlex HX Command Injection VulnerabilitiesKEV99Now
- CVE-2021-1497Cisco HyperFlex HX Command Injection VulnerabilitiesKEV99Now
- CVE-2021-1499Cisco HyperFlex HX Data Platform File Upload Vulnerability45Plan
- CVE-2019-1958Cisco HyperFlex Software Cross-Site Request Forgery Vulnerability35Monitor
- CVE-2018-15380Cisco HyperFlex Software Command Injection Vulnerability35Monitor
- CVE-2018-15382Cisco HyperFlex Software Static Signing Key Vulnerability34Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-284 · Improper Access ControlCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
- Embedding Scripts within ScriptsCAPEC-19likelihood: High · High
- Malicious Logic InsertionCAPEC-441likelihood: Medium · High
- Modification of Windows Service ConfigurationCAPEC-478likelihood: Low · High
- Malicious Root CertificateCAPEC-479likelihood: Low · Low
- Intent SpoofCAPEC-502
- WebView ExposureCAPEC-503
- Data Injected During ConfigurationCAPEC-536likelihood: Low · High
- Incomplete Data Deletion in a Multi-Tenant EnvironmentCAPEC-546likelihood: Low · Medium
ATT&CK techniques
- RootkitT1014
- Obfuscated Files or Information: Embedded PayloadsT1027.009
- Boot or Logon Initialization ScriptsT1037
- Taint shared contentT1080
- Server Software Component: Terminal Services DLLT1505.005
- Pre-OS Boot:BootkitT1542.003
- Create or Modify System ProcessT1543
- Create or Modify System Process: Launch AgentT1543.001
- Create or Modify System Process:Windows ServiceT1543.003
- Create or Modify System Process: Launch DaemonT1543.004
- Event Triggered Execution:Change Default File AssociationT1546.001
- Event Triggered Execution:.bash_profile and .bashrcT1546.004
- Event Triggered Execution: Accessibility FeaturesT1546.008
- Event Triggered Execution: Installer PackagesT1546.016
- Boot or Logon Autostart ExecutionT1547
- Boot or Logon Autostart Execution:Kernel Modules and ExtensionsT1547.006
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.
References
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/107103
- tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20190220-chn-root-access
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.